Machine for producing a vent in cartridge cases



G. EKSTRUM EI'AL MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A VENT IN CARTRIDGE-CASES Nov. 2, 1948.

Filed Sept. 2;, 1944 Patented Nov. 2, 1948 MAflHIN'E FOR PRODUCING A VENT CARTRTB Gil- Gnnnar 'Ekstriim, Stockholm, and Gustaf striim, Alsten, Sweden, ,assgno1s to A-rencp.

Akiebolae, Stockholm, Sweden, a $Wcdish joint-stock company Application September 21, 1944 Serial Nol -555", 1 02' In Sweden December "7,1942.

12 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of cartridge-cases of the type provided in their bottom with one or more essentially equal-sectioned, usually cylindrical holes or vents the diameter of which is often substantially less than the length;

of the vents. These vents are generally produced by boring. The invention has for its object to provide a machine making it practical to produce said vents by punching and thereby materially to reduce the cost of the operation in ques-- vention particularly adapted for musket car-t r tridge-cases, and therein Figure l is a sectional elevation of the machine, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View thereof along the longest axes of belt 44 in Fig. l and Figure 3 is a detail section, on an enlarged scale, of the punching tools and a cartridge-case.

The various parts of the machine are mounted on a frame-work 5 having a cross-beam 2 and :a suitably horizontal guide-way 3 for a cross piece t movable towards and away from the cross-beam. Mounted on the latter isa preferably cylindrical holder 5 for a thin-sectioned punch 6 extending in the direction of motion of the cross piece. Secured to the latter in a position opposite that of the holder is a tube-shaped punching die 1 with;

a closed, preferably chamfered end portion .8 facing the holder 5 and having a hole 9 provided therein just opposite the punch 6. The cartridgecasesare to be subjected to the punching operation after complete pressing of their bottom por-- tionbut before the formation of a throat thereon, and .the punching die '1 is designed to be in- .sertab'le into such a substantially cylindricalcase ainto contact with'the bottomb thereof. As seen from Fig. 3 the said bottom is provided on its outside with-a central bulb or anvil and an axial, annular fiange-c,between which the vent should be located. By means of any suita'ble driving mechanism for the cross-piece 6, such as an ec- :centric geargthe punching-die is positively moved;

between the position :shown .in Fig; ..1 and arpo'sition in essential accordance with .Fig. 'B and wherein the punch 5 extends through the vghqle .oreapart'of the hole 9 :in the punching die. .Preiferably. rthe diameter =1Df .this 1 hole is a considerably,

say aboutlfillfibllereater than thediameter hi the punch.

..A mechanism ior'advan-cing the cartridge-cases nd mounting them on the punch n die sompriscs, preferably, a recip ocating pusher or th like a apt d lat ra ly-t displa e the foremost cartridge-case of a suitably vertical magazine, into-a transfer position be w en the pun h nd the. punching die. In the embodiment shown suchapusher I0 is movable under a magazin 1.! tor a pile of cartridge-cases extending parallel to the ;punching-,.die 1. Preferably, ,thepusher is mounted on a. slide-bar 1,2 which is slidabl mounted in the ,irame -work an-d .operatively connected .to.;a pivot-arm 13 which by means, ,-for instance, of aspring Mextended between the slidebar ,and the frame-work, is kept in contactwitha shaped cam 15 driven from the main drive of the machineand radaptedto move the pusherfirom the osition. shown in Fig. 2.t 0 a transfer position to the right thereof. .Assoon as the pusher has occupied .said' firstementioned position the lowermost cartridge-case. in the magazine is free .to descend ahead of the pusher .onto a resilient pressing member ,lfi' mountedon the pusher and adapted "in the transfer position topress .the. cartrid'ge-case against a stationary abutment l1 po- Isitionediad'jacent the path of traveler the pusher, whilst a stationarily mounted; resilient pressing member 18 is pressing the cartridge-case against the pusher, so that the case is heldsubstantially axially relativelyto the punching die.

In the embodiment shown a sleeve 'i'QTis slidably mounted thelholder Efor uidingthe cartridge-case as well'as the punch and forst'ripping the former off "the punch after punching. For the purpose ofguidingitlie.,p1mch all the way to the work pi ce the sleeve is provided with ,a central stop ZD'adapted' to relst'againstithebottom within the annular flan e c and having a bore exactly suitingithe punch; Forthe purpose of guiding'a cartridge=case mountedpnfthe dieiinto correct po'si-tionirelatively to the punch the sleeve is provided with a'substantially annular, external guide flange '21" whichis-lug'her. than the stopil). By means of-aspringfl or the like the sleeve'is operated*uponirrthedirection towardsthe free end 'of' the punch, its movementimthis direction' being lim'ited by some suitable abutment; preferably anrarm zficontrolle'd by a cam -23-- on a shaft-24 connected. :toithe; mainadrive act: the machine. "170 'fii fil'l nemovinsithe han-tridg casa-frcmthe sleeve ra te -munchin arfins rlflbiorthe likecactuatcdby :aicam'awzon thewshaflt-wfi l may-be adapted itopen .iarm in 2a slot ,2?! ot the guide-flanged. alreciproeating motion in timed relation to that of the punching die.

In view of the heavy strain on the punch the machine should be provided with a periodically, preferaby after every punching operation, automatically acting device for detecting a detrimental breakage of the punch, said device being, preferably, adapted to make the feed mechanism inoperative upon breakage of the punch. In the embodiment shown this control device comprises a feeling stick 25 mounted on a vertically swingable arm 3: which, by mediation of a pin 32 slidably mounted in the cross-beam 2, is held against a pivot arm 33 under the influence of a spring 3| or equivalent means, the arm 33 being actuated by a cam 34 preferably mounted on the shaft 24. After the punching operation andthe return movement of the punching die the arm 25 is adapted to hold the sleeve IS in the position shown in Fig. 3, wherein an opening 35 provided in the guide flange 2| is situated opposite the path of the feeling stick 29 and the free end of the punch. ihe shape of the cam 34 is such that, in the above position of the sleeve, the arm 33 and consequently also the feeling stick 23 will be once swung back and forth, the feeling stick being arrested by the punch, if the latter is uniractured, and free to perform its motion if the punch is broken. A contact member 35 carried by the arm 3&3 and a contact member 3'1 stationarny mounted in the path of the former, are adapted upon mutual contact to close the circuit or an electromagnet 38, Fig. 2, having its armature 39 mounted on a pivotal catch ll] adapted normally to hold in raised, inoperative position a pawl ei mounted on the frame-work for co-operation with a notch G2 in the slidebar E2.

The operation of the machine is as follows: After a cartridge-case has been brought into transfer position by the pusher iii, the punching die i enters the case and moves it towards the punch, correct axial position being thereunder ensured to the cartridge-case by the guide flange H of the sleeve it which, in this stage, should be situated so far to the right in Fig. 3 that the punchii does not protrude from the stop 20. By the continued motion of the die I the bottom of the cartridge-case will be seated on and forced against the stop 28 of the sleeve iii, the latter yielding against the action of the spring 22 and the punch piercing the bottom 22 and entering the hole 9 of the die. Under the subsequent return movement of the latter into the position shown in Fig. i the sleeve is brought back into its position before the punching operation, the cartridge-case being swept off the punch, possibly accompanying the die from which it will then be removed by some member mounted in the path thereof, such as a shoulder on the side-wall 13 of a collecting channel for the cartridge-cases punched, the bottom of said channel being, preferab y, constituted by a conveyer belt 44. Before the return of the die, possibly as soon as the cartridge-case has been seated thereon, the pusher if? left the transfer position for fetching another cartridge-case. The portions punched out are free to leave the interior of the tubeshaped die through a lateral opening provided in the die or its mounting. After removal of the cartridge-case from the punch the finger 26 will be once swung back and forth, a cartridge-case possibly sticking within the guide flange 21 being thereby removed in order to drop on to the eonthe dies.

veyer belt 44. About the same time the sleeve I9 is brought by the arm 25 into the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the feeling stick 29 is released to move under the action of spring 35. If the punch is still unfractured, it arrests the stick before the members 36, 31 would touch one another, but if the punch is fractured the feeling stick performs its motion until the circuit of the electromagnet 38 is closed causing the armature 39 to be attracted and the pawl 4| to be released, the latter dropping down into engagement with the notch 42, so that the pusher it) cannot perform its feed motion under the action of spring i4 until the pawl which may be spring-operated, after change of punches, has been raised into engagement again with the catch 40. After the feeling stick has returned automatically into the shown position at rest, the sleeve I9 is returned by the spring 22 into its outer terminal position, whereupon the operations described are repeated in respect to another cartridge-case that may have been brought into transfer position before the above return movement of the sleeve [9.

While in the embodiment above described the cartridge-case is pushed off the needle by the action of a spring 22, it may sometimes be better to operate the sleeve [9 mechanically during the push-off motion or to provide a special, preferably mechanically guided, member for pushing or drawing the cartridge-case off the punch. Such member could also, instead of the sleeve [9, be provided with the guide flange 2|. If the cartridge-case is to be provided with two, diametrically opposite vents, these may be produced simultaneously by means of two punches with a common holder and a common die and having each one of two independently movable feeling members, the punches being preferably arranged in a common horizontal plane. The feeling stick may alternatively be mounted to move recti linearly, and the same may be operatively connected to the pawl M or some equivalent arresting device by, for instance, mechanical or pneumatic, instead of electric means. Instead of making the feed mechanism inoperative upon detection of a punch fracture, the feeling device may be adapted at such instances to operate a signal device and/or a device for separately collecting cartridge-cases delivered after the punch fracture, such as a shovel or the like to be lowered on to the conveyer belt 64. Preferably, a

plurality of punches with appendant feed pushmounted on the beam 2.

The embodiment described is susceptible to modifications also in other respects, and also other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention which is not limited, for instance, to a horizontal arrangement of punch and die. Thus, the punch may be reciprocating and the die be stationary or, together with a plurality of dies, secured to a revolver head having distinct positions for mounting the cartridgecases, punching them and removing them from Cartridge-cases of a type differing from that shown, may require or admit of another, possibly simpllfied execution of the machine or parts thereof. In machines for cartridge-cases of a larger calibre the cartridge-cases may thus be mounted, during the punching operation, upon the punch holder and not on the die which in such case may have to be provided with an exterior guide flange. Instead of a feel ing member movable into contact with the punch it is possible to use as detecting member a suitably pneumatic device co-operating with the cartridge-cases after their removal from the punch, for detecting a lack of normal length of the punch by ascertaining, Whether the cartridge-cases have got a hole in their bottom.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for producing a vent in the bottom of metallic cartridge-cases, the combination with two punching tools adapted to open and close relatively to one another, of a sleeve for exteriorly guiding a cartridge-case, mounted on one of said tools, into proper position relatively to the second of said tools when closing, said first-mentioned tool being capable of entering a cartridge-case into contact with the bottom of a blunt punching needle, a holder for said tool, and a punching die having a hole of about 50% larger diameter than the diameter of said punching tool.

4. In a machine for producing a vent in the bottom of cartridge-cases, the combination of a punching tool, a holder for said tool, a punching die shaped to suit the interior of a cartridgecase, and a spring-operated guide-piece mounted to slide in the direction of said tool and adapted to suit the exterior of the bottom of a cartridgecase mounted on said die.

5. In a machine for producing a vent in the bottom of cartridge-cases, the combination of a punching tool, a holder for said tool, a punching die adapted to enter a cartridge-case, and a sleeve adapted exteriorly toguide a cartridgecase, mounted on said die, into proper position relatively to said tool.

6. A machine according to claim 5, in which a finger is adapted to move in a longitudinal slot in said sleeve to remove a cartridge-case sticking in said sleeve.

7. In a machine for producing vents in cartridge-cases in combination, a punching tool, a holder for said tool, a punching die mechanically operated to reciprocate relatively to said holder, a magazine for containing cartridge-cases to be punched, a reciprocating pusher for moving laterally the foremost cartridge case in said magazine into a transfer position between said holder and said die, a stationary abutment adjacent the path of said pusher, and two resilient presser members one mounted stationarily andtheother on "said pusher for pressing a cartridge'ecase against said pusher and said stationary abutment. f,

8. In a machine for producing a v nt in cartridge-cases, the combination of a punching tool, a holder for said tool, a punching diemechanically operated to reciprocate relatively to said holder, a-feed mechanism including a yieldingly operated pusher adapted laterally to move a cartridge-case into a position in the path of the relative motion of said holder and said die, a periodically operated device adapted to detect a lack of normal length of said tool, anda pawl operatively connected to said detecting device and adapted to impede yielding motion of said pusher.

9. In a machine for producing a vent in carbridge-cases, the combination of a tool adapted to produce said vent by punching, a yieldingly operated feeling stick adapted after every punching operation to touch said tool in order to detect a lack of normal length thereof, and a guidepiece mounted to slide in the direction of said tool and having a substantially annular, exterior flange for guiding a cartridge-case into proper position relatively to said tool, said guide-piece being adapted after every punching operation to be temporarily held in a position wherein an opening provided in said guide flange is situated opposite the path of said feeling stick and the free end of said tool.

10. In a machine for producing a vent in cartridge-cases, the combination of a stationary punch having a substantially horizontal punching tool, a punching die mounted to reciprocate opposite to and in the direction of said tool and capable of entering a cartridge-case into contact with the bottom thereof, a magazine for a pile of cartridge-cases to be provided with a vent, and a feed pusher mounted to reciprocate substantially horizontally under said magazine in a transverse direction of said tool and adapted laterally to move the lowermost cartridge-case in said magazine into a transfer position in the path of said die.

11. A machine according to claim 10, in which a plurality of tools with appendant feed pushers and jointly movable punching dies are arranged side by side, said pushers being mounted on a common slide or the like.

12. In a machine for producing a vent in cartridge-cases in combination, a punching tool, a holder for said tool, a punching die mechanically operated to reciprocate relatively to said holder opposite to and in the direction of said tool and capable of entering a cartridge-case into contact with the bottom thereof, a magazine for a row of cartridge-cases to be provided with a vent, and a feed pusher mounted to reciprocate past said magazine in a transverse direction of said tool for laterally moving the foremost cartridge-case in said magazine into a transfer position between said holder and said die.

GUNNAR EKSTROM.

GUSTAF ()RSTRCSM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 94,744 Hobbs Sept. 14, 1869 177,067 Hobbs May 9, 1876 202,363 Moore Apr. 16, 1 78 273,734 Hobbs Mar. 13, 1883 1,136,162 Norton Apr. 20, 1915 2,069,291 Thomason Feb. 2, 1937 2,339,773 Egan Jan. 25, 1944 

